Mega Raids in Pokemon GO are a chance to gather with friends to defeat – and catch – a powerful Pokemon. However, the most recent Mega Raid has players furious due to Niantic’s choice to make Mega Rayquaza available in Pokemon GO in Elite Raids only.
Players across social media are sharing their not-so-generous thoughts about Mega Rayquaza being an Elite Raid Boss, such as this meme from Reddit:
As user Entire_Pineapple4732 notes in their post, many prior Mega and Legendary Pokemon have featured in Raid Day events in Pokemon GO without being limited to the Elite Raid tier. Why are players so frustrated with this change?
The primary complaint centers on Remote Raid Passes, a serious point of contention in the Pokemon GO community. Elite Raids do not permit the use of any Remote Raid Passes at all, forcing players to participate in Elite Raids in person. That means you need to find an Elite Raid Gym near you and physically travel there – during the limited hours for the Elite Raid – in order to have a chance of battling Mega Rayquaza.
There are many issues with this model, as players have pointed out. If you don’t live near a special Elite Raid Gym, you won’t be able to use a Remote Pass to join in with someone who does. This is a challenge for players in rural areas, where PokeStops and Gyms are less common. Players with limited mobility or other accessibility needs that prevent them from playing in person are also unable to enjoy these Elite Raids due to the exclusion of Remote Raid Pass users.
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Another complaint regarding Mega Rayquaza Raid Weekend in Pokemon GO is the limited hours, with Elite Raids scheduled for just four hours: 12 PM and 1 PM, then again at 5 PM and 6 PM on Saturday, June 29. Players point out that these times overlap with both lunch and dinner for many people, and that anyone who works Saturdays may miss the entire window due to how limited the times are.
While some fans are responding with light-hearted, albeit frustrated, humor, others are calling for an outright boycott of Mega Rayquaza Raid Weekend. The hope is that refusing to participate – and pay Niantic for Raid Passes – will force the company to reconsider its exclusionary practices with Elite Raids.
While player boycotts and outcry have gotten Niantic’s attention in the past, they’ve stayed pretty firm when it comes to Remote Raid Pass limits. It’s clear that Pokemon GO fans still have strong feelings about Remote Raid Pass usage and excluding players from big events like this one. Hopefully, Niantic will take note and make the next Mega Raid more broadly available to fans.
Pokémon GO is available on iOS and Android.